1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for illuminating a door handle portion of a vehicle
2. Description of the Related Art
As a device for illuminating a door handle portion of a vehicle at night, there is an invention in which a illumination lamp is disposed within a door handle on a front side thereof to illuminate the door handle (refer to, for example, JP-A-08-318783). A person who opens or closes a door of the vehicle at night can recognize the position of the door handle for the door by the illumination so provided.
On the other hand, there is another invention in which a light source is disposed within a door handle on a rear side thereof for indirect illumination of a concave portion which is formed on a vehicle body in a position which lies at the rear of the door handle (refer to, for example, JP-A-03-125768). A person who opens or closes a door at night can recognize the positions of the concave portion on the vehicle body and the door handle through this indirect illumination.
Incidentally, when a person (the driver or an occupant in his or her vehicle) who opens or closes a door of the vehicle actually opens or closes the door, the person inserts his or her hand into an insertion opening produced between a door handle for the relevant door and a concave portion which is formed on a vehicle body in a position which lies at the rear of the door handle so as to pull or push the door the door handle for a required operation of the door. At night, the person inserts his or her hand into the insertion opening depending on an illumination provided on the door handle to open or close the door.
As with the conventional configurations, however, in the event that the front side of the door handle is illuminated, although the position of the door handle can be grasped, it becomes difficult to determine on the position of the concave portion on the vehicle body which lies behind the door handle. In addition, also in the event that the light emitting device is provided on the rear side of the door handle to indirectly illuminate the concave portion on the vehicle body, there exists a risk that depending on the body color of the vehicle or the color of illumination light, the illumination effect cannot be exhibited sufficiently, and hence, it becomes difficult to grasp accurately the positions of the door handle and the concave portion on the vehicle body. Because of this, when the person extends his or her hand to grip the door handle, there occurred a case where a momentary hesitation was generated and the gripping of the door handle in an ensured manner was made difficult.
Then, a problem that the invention is to be solved is to provide a illumination system which facilitates the opening or closing operation of a door of the vehicle at night to enhance the convenience on such an occasion.
With a view to solving the problem, according to the invention, the following configurations will be provided. According to a first configuration of the invention, there is provided a door handle portion illumination system for illuminating a door handle portion including:
a door handle; and
a concave portion that is formed on a vehicle body in a position which lies at the rear of the door handle; the door handle portion illumination system including:
a light transmitting element that is incorporated in the door handle and which includes a luminous surface comprising, in turn, an area which is exposed on a front side of the door handle and an area which faces an edge portion of the concave portion; and
a light source which emits a light that is introduced into the light transmitting element.
According to the door handle portion illumination system that is configured as has been described above, part of light of the light source which is introduced into the light transmitting element is emitted from part (the area that is exposed on the front side of the door handle) of the luminous surface towards the front side (an outside of the vehicle), whereby the door handle is illuminated for its position to be displayed. On the other hand, a light that is emitted from the area of the luminous surface of the light transmitting element which faces the edge portion of the concave portion on the vehicle body illuminates the edge portion of the concave portion on the vehicle body, whereby the light is concentrated on the relevant edge portion so that the edge portion is allowed to appear as a bright line. Consequently, the person (the driver or the like) who opens or closes the door visually recognizes the illumination produced on the luminous surface of the light transmitting element and the bright line produced along the edge portion of the concave portion on the vehicle body to thereby grasp the position of the door handle, as well as the position of the concave portion on the vehicle body, whereby when the person extends his or her hand to open or close the door, the person can grip the door handle in an ensured fashion without any hesitation.
According to a second configuration of the invention, in the first configuration, the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is gradually increased in width as the luminous surface goes away from the light source.
The intensity of light introduced into the light transmitting element is dampened as it travels through the interior of the light transmitting element. Consequently, the intensity of the light emitted from the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is also dampened as the luminous surface goes farther away from the light source, leading to a cause for irregular illumination. As has been described above, in the event that the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is made to be gradually increased in width as it goes farther away from the light source, the amount of light emitted from portions on the luminous surface which are located farther away from the light source can be compensated for to thereby reduce the irregular illumination.
According to a third configuration of the invention, in the first configuration, the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is formed continuously along a longitudinal direction of the door handle.
By forming the luminous surface of the light transmitting element continuously, the position of the door handle is made clear. In addition, since the bright line that is generated along the edge portion of the concave portion on the vehicle body by the light emitted from the luminous surface becomes continuous, the position of the edge portion of the concave portion on the vehicle body also becomes clear.
Here, a longitudinal central point of the luminous surface is preferably made to coincide with a longitudinal central point of the door handle. This is because the luminous surface is allowed to be disposed at the center of the door handle. By adopting this configuration, the bright line generated along the edge portion of the concave portion on the vehicle body is also allowed to be generated in a position which corresponds to the luminous surface. Consequently, the person who opens or closes the door can visually recognize the illumination by the luminous surface of the light transmitting element and the bright light generated along the edge portion, thereby the person being allowed to grip the center of the door handle accurately.
According to a fourth configuration of the invention, in the third configuration, the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is formed from one end side to the other end side of the door handle.
The longitudinal length of the door handle can be determined in relation to the length (a horizontal linear distance of the concave portion on the vehicle body) of the concave portion which is formed on the vehicle body in the position which lies at the rear of the door handle. With the length of the door handle being longer than the length of the concave portion on the vehicle body, in the event that the length of the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is made to be a length which extends from one end side to the other end side of the door handle, light emitted from the luminous surface of the light transmitting element can illuminate most of the edge portion of the concave portion on the vehicle body. Consequently, a ring-shaped illumination is observed which is formed by the illumination by the luminous surface of the light transmitting element and the bright line generated along the concave portion on the vehicle body, whereby the person who opens or closes the door can so open or close the door being guided by the ring-shaped illumination, thereby the convenience being further enhanced.
According to a fifth configuration of the invention, in any of the first to fourth configurations of the invention, the light transmitting element is incorporated in an upper edge portion of the door handle.
Since the door handle normally lies below the level of the eyes of the person who opens or closes the door, it is easy for the person to visualize the upper edge portion of the door handle. Consequently, by disposing the light transmitting element along the upper edge portion of the door handle, the position of the door handle can be grasped more easily.